The springs in the towns around Rome are failing. Marcus Attilius, engineer in charge of the aqueduct bringing water from the hills of Vesuvius to the coast, has to fix the problem. His predecessor has disappeared mysteriously, his workmen are a coarse lot of sewer rats, and he's fallen for the daughter of the villainous Ampilatus. In Robert Harris's reconstruction of the days before the massive eruption of Vesuvius, credible human tensions build along with the volcano's deadly pressure. Harris injects arcane facts of feasting, fashion, and political foolhardiness, and John Lee's intelligent performance makes Pompeii more than a run-of-the-mill disaster story. As Ampilatus, his voice drips with decadence, and as Corelia, his daughter, it shines with strength and innocence. Lee makes even the dank tunnels of an aqueduct fascinating.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2003
Duration: 10 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Books on Tape
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Ayla, one of the "others," is adopted by a clan of Neanderthal cave people. She struggles to conform to their ways, but her advanced human traits overwhelm and threaten their primitive culture in this initial installment of an immensely popular series. Although the story might benefit from abridgment, Rowena Cooper easily carries out the formidable task of enlivening the mostly silent and stereotypical characters with consistent, diverse personalities and human dimension. Through skillful phrasing and inflection, she maintains the reader's interest and suspense, especially with Ayla and her plight, throughout this rambling and imaginative story.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 22 hrs
Publisher: BBC Audiobooks America/ Chivers
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
This lyrical, sensual novel of woman's lot in Manchu, China, is as well researched as it is well written. Authentic in tone, it's nonetheless written for Westerners by a Western expert on China. Moreover, Susan Clark performs the demanding text superbly, with only occasional signs of fatigue. For the most part she not only sustains the quaint diction and Asian atmosphere, but also, creates whole worlds with her voice. She acts the book, rather than reads it, and, in so doing, turns a pretty trifle into a stupendous beauty.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 4 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Audio Literature
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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